A place to get lost in – Blue Neighbourhood Review

Get lost in the Blue Neighbourhood, which could soon become the soundtrack to your life. The debut album is the culmination of the last 18 months for 20-year-old Perth singer Troye Sivan. It’s got songs anyone could relate to; whether it’s traveling away from your hometown, discovering your sexuality or experiencing your first love, there’s a song for everyone. Eight of the songs on the new album have been previously released, either on his EP WILD or as singles and the album dishes up eight new and different tracks.

Sivan is bringing to the surface honesty and truth about what he feels and how he feels about it in HEAVEN. Its wise and thoughtful lyrics talk about being a part of the LGBTQ+ community and trying to fit into a religion that doesn’t accept you, and how it’s important to accept yourself. As Sivan said in his lyric commentary “This is one of the only times that I’ve actually specifically written about coming out and being gay… you start asking your questions what would your parents think… even if you don’t make it to heaven or whatever it’s completely cool because you loved yourself.” HEAVEN also features Betty Who, whose vocals breathe life into the song.

LOST BOY is so honest and real, it’s lyrically talented and you can sense how the singer doesn’t feel worthy of the other person because they are “just a lost boy” almost as if they still feel like a child bot sure where they are going in the world. There’s quite a youthful sound to the vocals as well as the water-like and bell sounds in the chorus giving it a fresh pop sound unlike any other track on the album.

I can’t get over how beautiful SUBURBIA is sound wise, with the use of strings and violin that create an atmosphere of scenic images. As well as the build up to the chorus that just catches you in before blowing you away.

COOL and TOO GOOD show a more mature side to the album, with Sivan‘s vocals being focused on and more prominent over the music. In comparison, for him. doesn’t show as much vocal talent, however this new sound with spoken lyrics is different and quite nice also. I feel like there was a bit too much hype around for him., and I personally think that the lyrics are a bit wishy washy but as it’s supposedly a love song for his boyfriend and filled with inside jokes only they would understand, it’s pretty cute.

On the deluxe version there are three extra tracks, one I mentioned before TOO GOOD, BLUE and a XXYYXX remix of WILD. BLUE is another amazing track that features his main co-writer Alex Hope. She doesn’t usually sing but this collaboration with Hope is just what Sivan needed to balance out his unique tone adding a perfect, soft and sultry yet strong feminine voice. The lyrics are delicate and poetic, it might just bring you to tears. The remix makes me want to jump out of my seat and dance; it’s a perfect way to finish the album off with WILD just as it started.

Blue Neighbourhood has exceeded my expectations but his work is proving to be popular in a bigger sense as pop stars Taylor Swift and Sam Smith are big fans, even Adele mentioned him in a recent interview; it’s not hard to see why these stars love him so much. Blue Neighbourhood is dark, mysterious, cute, fresh, beautiful, crazy and hopefully the direction pop music is headed in.